Making 100 Teen-Spirits Bright

The Cause

Since 1940, the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton has had one mission: to provide a festive meal to Edmontonians in need at Christmas time. The people we assist – families, seniors and individuals – receive more than a meal: it’s Christmas with hope and dignity and the knowledge that there is support from the community.

- Our Mission: Promotion of the spirit of Christmas caring and sharing in the City of Edmonton.
- Our Mandate: To provide a festive meal and coordination of Christmas giving to Edmontonians in need.
- Our Core Values: Share the spirit of giving and collective caring A spirit of compassion, generosity and support A spirit which offers hope Culturally inclusive Non-judgmental
- Our Principles: All persons in need are treated with utmost dignity, respect, courtesy and confidentiality. Provide assistance to a person in need to be charitable—not disparaging, disconsolate or punitive. Provide assistance in accordance with good stewardship principles. Pursue and develop partnerships in the community.

A total of 55,450 people received the services of the Christmas Bureau in 2017. 48% of those were children & teens who would have also received assistance through 630 CHED Santas Anonymous & our Adopt-A-Teen program.

OUR IDEA: MAKING TEEN-SPIRITS BRIGHT
Teenagers can be some of the most difficult to buy for, and all too often this age group is forgotten during the festive season of giving. Majority of the gifts purchased are for children under the age of 12 and are not suitable for teens.

The Adopt-A-Teen initiative provides deserving teens with a $50 Wal-Mart gift card to purchase an item of their choosing: perhaps that an article of clothing, a game, toiletries, books – regardless of what it is, it will be used for something that is meaningful to them.

We invite the Field Law family to make the season bright for teens in our community. This gift will provide 100 deserving teens with a $50 gift card this holiday season.

A gift offered from the kindness of strangers will provide – both the giver and the receiver – a sense of hope that will forever change the way they celebrate the season. It reminds us – even in the darkest of times – of the joy to be found in friendship, kindness and the generosity of our neighbours.

Who Will it Benefit?

Give the Gift of Hope
"I'm 13 years old. I want to thank you for the Adopt-A-Teen card and everything you have done for me. The things I bought with the gift card are clothes, a necklace, shoes. And some gifts for my best friend. You made my day.” ~ 2017 Adopt-a-Teen Recipient

The Christmas Bureau is non-denominational and accessible to all Edmontonians in need. The Christmas Bureau operates in the corporate limits of the City of Edmonton. Our clients are low income and working poor families, seniors and individuals living below or near Statistics Canada’s Low Income Cut-Off and therefore eligible for government assistance programs. Many of our families are working families trying to make ends meet.

Families come in all shapes and sizes—and we help all of them! From a senior living alone, to a single dad and his child to multi-generational families of twelve, we ensure that all those who are in need of assistance receive a festive meal and other resources at Christmastime.

For this specific request, 100 deserving teens in our community will be the recipients of this generous gift.